The invention relates to a diode and a method for fabricating it. The invention relates, in particular, to a PIN diode. Diodes of this type are used, for example, in discrete circuits for switching radio frequency signals.
Diodes are used as rectifiers and switches in many areas of electronics and are offered commercially in various configurations. Applications as switches in the radio frequency range require diodes with a low blocking capacitance (CT) for an applied reverse-biased voltage, and a low forward resistance (rf) for a forward-biased voltage, which leads to low attenuation in the forward direction and high insulation in the reverse direction. One quality feature for PIN diodes is the product CT*rf.
The blocking capacitance of a diode, CT, is composed of an area capacitance, CA, and a fringing capacitance, CP. The area capacitance is dominant in large-area diodes. It is determined by the surface area and also the thickness of the depletion layer of the diode, which forms for a given voltage between the regions of different conductivity. Furthermore, the blocking capacitance is determined by the material of the semiconductor substrate or the relative permittivity of the semiconductor material. In the case of silicon, the relative permittivity is relatively high, with ∈=12.
The fringing capacitance encompasses all of the capacitances of a diode that cannot be assigned to the area capacitance. Examples of this are capacitances that are determined by the supply line and contact-making areas. The fringing capacitance is dominant primarily in small-area diodes.
The forward resistance can be minimized primarily by using short paths in the semiconductor substrate. This is achieved e.g. by the current, which enters from the front side through the diffusion layer, emerging again on the rear side of the semiconductor substrate. The rear side of this substrate has previously been thinned.
The PIN diodes have become established in the radio frequency range right into the GHz range (e.g. the diode family BAR-63 from Infineon Technologies AG). The active region of these diodes essentially includes three regions, a highly doped diffusion region of a first conduction type, a quasi intrinsic region with no doping or only very low doping and a highly doped region of a second conduction type. In the case of these diodes, the thickness of the depleted region is given essentially by the thickness of the intrinsic region, since the intrinsic region is completely depleted of free charge carriers even at very small voltages on account of the low doping. A relatively thick intrinsic region makes it possible to produce diodes that have very low blocking capacitances even at small voltages.
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken through a prior art rotationally symmetrical planar PIN diode 10. The figure shows the semiconductor substrate 1, which has a p-conducting substrate region 3 and an intrinsic substrate region 5. The intrinsic substrate region 5 is generally realized by an undoped or only weakly doped epitaxial layer. The intrinsic region 5 is non-conducting and therefore acts as a kind of dielectric between the n-conducting diffusion region 7 and the p-conducting region 3. Furthermore, the diode has a rear side contact 17, which is preferably realized by a gold-arsenic layer, so that the rear side serves as a second contact of the diode. In order to minimize the resistance of the diode, the rear side of the semiconductor substrate is thinned.
The total capacitance of the diode is given by the sum of the area capacitance CA and the fringing capacitance CP, which are both depicted diagrammatically in FIG. 5. If the diode area is small, then the influence of the fringing capacitance must increasingly be taken into account. The fringing capacitance CP in FIG. 5 is relatively large, since the dielectric constant is essentially prescribed by the depleted silicon, which has a high dielectric constant (∈=12).
In order to reduce the fringing capacitance CP, so-called mesa diodes are often used for applications in radio frequency technology. FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view taken through a rotationally symmetrical mesa PIN diode 30. In this case, due to the mesa structure, the fringing capacitance CP is significantly reduced in comparison with the diode shown in FIG. 5, since in the trench 20, air is prescribed as the dielectric, and air has a low dielectric constant (∈=1). The trench is covered by a trench oxide layer 22 and a nitride layer 24 lying on the latter, so that the silicon surface is passivated in the trench. The blocking capacitance of the diode typically lies below 400 fF.
For the same resistance in the forward direction, mesa PIN diodes make it possible to realize capacitances in the reverse direction that are approximately 15% smaller than the capacitances that are possible with a planar diode. A further advantage of a mesa PIN diode resides in the shorter turn-off time. This can be attributed to the fact that, as a result of the lateral delimitation of the charge carriers, during the switch-off, no charges can be removed from the edge region of the diode, as is the case with a planar diode.
However, the diode shown in FIG. 6 has the disadvantage that, for a given thickness of the intrinsic region, the junction capacitance is downwardly limited by the size of the electrode 9 that is required for contact-making. The area of the electrode 9 cannot be arbitrarily reduced, since later it is necessary to apply a bonding wire or another terminal connection on this area. This bonding wire or terminal connection connects the diode e.g. to a housing PIN. Conventional bonding methods require a bonding bearing area of about 10,000 xcexcm2 or more. This generally has the consequence that the size of the diffusion region 7 also cannot be reduced, since the contact-making area required for a microwelding connection must maintain a minimum size. Since the size of the electrode 9 is prescribed by the area required for contact-making, e.g. by a bonding wire, the reduction of the blocking capacitance of the diode is limited by this area. A further disadvantage is that, in the case of small diodes and thus also small contact-making areas, e.g. a bonding base of a bonding wire can reach across the contact area and can damage the insulating layers 22 and 24 even in the event of very small misalignments.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a diode and a method for producing the diode which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art apparatus and methods of this general type.
In particular, the object of the invention is to provide a diode having a desired, i.e. minimum, blocking capacitance even in the case of a predetermined minimum bonding area. Furthermore, the diode is intended to have the typical switching behavior of a mesa PIN diode.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a diode that in particular can be used for applications in radio frequency technology, including: a semiconductor substrate having a surface, a first region of a first conductivity type, a second region of a second conductivity type, and a depletion region between the first region and the second region being formed when the diode is operated in a reverse direction; at least one electrode configured on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, the first region having an area being directly electrically connected to the electrode; at least one trench formed in the semiconductor substrate; and insulation configured on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The trench limits the depletion region that is formed when the diode is being operated in the reverse direction. The insulation limits the area of the first region that is directly electrically connected to the electrode.
The diode has the advantage that the extent of the depletion region, and thus the area capacitance of the diode, and the size of the electrode are decoupled from one another. The lateral extent of the depletion region can be chosen independently of the size of the electrode. The part of the electrode that is not in direct contact with the first region, but is necessary to provide a sufficiently large area for a bonding wire is arranged on the insulation. The insulation makes it possible to keep a part of the electrode at a sufficient distance from the semiconductor substrate, as a result of which the capacitance of the diode is reduced.
Therefore, the lateral extent of the depletion region can be optimally adapted to the respective application without having to consider problems that can result from bonding the diode. Furthermore, the diode has essentially the same small fringing capacitance as a mesa diode. The trench in the semiconductor substrate helps to lower the fringing capacitance of the electrode with respect to the semiconductor substrate, since rather than silicon with ∈=12, a material with a lower dielectric constant, e.g. silicon oxide with ∈=4 or gas with ∈=1, is provided in the edge region.
The trench is preferably filled with an insulating filling material having the smallest possible dielectric constant. The filling and also the insulation at the substrate surface have the effect that e.g. the bonding base of a bonding wire cannot project into the trench and the capacitance of the diode thus increases. The filling material should preferably have a dielectric constant that is less than that of silicon.
The diode preferably has a PIN diode structure, i.e. the semiconductor substrate has an undoped or only very weakly doped region on the surface. This very weakly doped region, also called an intrinsic region, is usually grown by an epitaxial method on the more highly doped semiconductor substrate. Therefore, for a given area geometry, the thickness of this epitaxial layer largely determines the capacitance of the diode.
A preferred filling material for the trench is silicon oxide. In a preferred embodiment, a borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) oxide, in particular, is used for the filling of the trench. In accordance with a further preferred embodiment, prior to the filling, trench bottom and trench wall are covered with a layer made of undoped silicate glass, in order to minimize the area state density at the trench surface.
A cavity is preferably provided in the trench. A cavity leads to a further reduction of the fringing capacitance, since the dielectric constant of gas (air), with ∈=1, is significantly lower than that of silicon oxide.
The cavity or cavities are preferably fabricated in the insulating filling material by filling the cavity by a non-conformal deposition. During such a deposition, a so-called xe2x80x9cshrink hole formationxe2x80x9d arises since the trench cannot be completely filled on account of the increased deposition at the upper edge of the trench.
The electrode preferably contains aluminum, since a good ohmic contact on silicon can be realized with this material, and aluminum is well suited to contact-making with bonding wires made of gold or aluminum. Furthermore, it is preferred if more than 20%, and preferably more than 40%, of the electrode is arranged above the insulation.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for fabricating a diode. The method includes steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having a surface, a first region of a first conductivity type, a second region of a second conductivity type, and a depletion region forming between the first region and the second region when the diode is operated in a reverse direction; forming at least one trench limiting the depletion region; filling the trench with an insulating filling material; producing insulation on the surface of the semiconductor substrate; and producing an electrode on the surface of the semiconductor substrate such that the electrode is directly electrically connected to an area of the first region and the area is limited by the insulation.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the method includes: providing the semiconductor substrate with an intrinsic region.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the method includes: performing the step of forming the trench by anisotropic etching.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the method includes: coating walls and a bottom of the trench with an undoped silicate glass layer.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the method includes: performing the step of filling the trench by performing a non-conformal silicon oxide deposition so that a cavity forms in the trench.
In accordance with a further added feature of the invention, the method includes: using a BPSG process to perform the step of silicon oxide deposition.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the method includes: performing the step of filling the trench and performing the step of producing the insulation by depositing a silicon oxide layer and subsequently patterning the silicon oxide layer.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the method includes: patterning the insulation in a trapezoid form.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the method includes: thinning a rear side of the semiconductor substrate.
In accordance with yet a further added feature of the invention, the method includes: providing a second contact on a rear side of the semiconductor substrate.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a diode and method for fabricating it, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.